Introduction to Climate Action Planning

CAP KickoffFebruary 17th, 2009

Sustainability CoordinatorLenna Storm

lstorm@gmu.edu703-993-4220

Agenda for the DayTopic Presenters Time

Welcome and session overview

What is a CAP? Vision and Objectives

Greenhouse Gas Inventory Review

Mason's Climate Actions to Date

Facilities Efforts

Parking and Transportation Efforts

Climate Communications @ Mason

Lenna Storm

Dann Sklarew

Rob Johnson

Tom Calhoun, VP Facilities

Josh Cantor, Director of Parking and Transportation

Lenna Storm

Colin Bennett

Maheen Aziz

2 pm

President Merten: A Call to Climate Action President Alan G. Merten 2.45 pm

Establishing the CAP Subgroups’ Scope

Outline of CAP report

Goals Overview for Subgroup Break-Outs

Break out into CAP teams

Lenna Storm

Iliriana Mushkolaj

Colin Bennett

Colin Bennett, Subgroup Leads

3 pm

Report-Out 4 pm

Wrap Up and Networking 4.15 pm

Mason is an ACUPCC SignatoryThe American College and University

Presidents Climate Commitment • Acknowledgement of concern about global warming• Acknowledgement of leadership role in global

warming through education• Pledges a commitment to climate neutrality through

specific actions and timelines

Climate NeutralityClimate neutrality means two things:1.We will make every endeavor to reduce the

emissions we create through regular operations as much as possible

2.Offset emissions that cannot be reduced any further through carbon offsets, renewable energy credits, or by buying renewable energy directly

Mason CAP Timeline to Date

• Sep’07 - President Merten signed ACUPCC• Oct’07 – Lenna Storm hired as Sustainability Coordinator and GMU

Sustainability Office created• Jan’08 – Feb’09 – Sustainability Office prepared Greenhouse Gas

Inventory (GHGI) for years FY02 – FY07, formed CAP Core Planning Committee.

• Jan’09 – May’09 – Mason “Climate Action Planning and Energy Strategies” (CAPES) course launched and delivered by ESP Dept., to facilitate CAP development and learning.

• Feb 17, 2009 – Climate Action Planning Team launched at CAP Kickoff!

Three Phases of the CommitmentDeliverables from a Summer 2007 start date: • Within two months of signing, implement decision

making structure: set up Sustainability Office, Hire Coordinator; set up Executive Steering Committee, Council, and Working Groups (Done: 9/07)

• Implement interim projects: LEED standard for all new buildings, EnergyStar purchasing policy, public transportation options provided (Done: 9/07)

• Complete GHG inventory (Done: 9/08)• Complete plan for climate neutrality (Due: 9/09)

The Core Planning Committee• Lenna Storm, Sustainability Coordinator, Office of Sustainability

• Dann Sklarew, Associate Professor, Environmental Science and Policy Department

• Robert Johnson, Teaching Assistant, Environmental Science and Policy Department

• Aaron Hartman, Co-Chair of Sustainability Council Climate and Energy Working Group, ITU/University Libraries

• Colin Bennett, Sustainability Assistant, Office of Sustainability

• Danielle Wyman, Sustainability Intern, Office of Sustainability

Climate Action Planning TeamAim:

Draft George Mason University's first Climate Action Plan (CAP)

for approval by GMU President Alan Merten in September 2009

and implementation ASAP thereafter.

What is a CAP?

Vision

Achieve climate neutrality,

“no net GHG emissions,” by minimizing

GHG emissions, and using carbon offsets

or other measures to mitigate

the remaining emissions.

How to do a CAP?

Identify, evaluate and characterize:

a) Target dateb) Interim targets for goals and actions leading to

climate neutralityc) Actions to integrate climate neutrality and

sustainability into the curriculum and other student experiencesd) Actions to expand research or other efforts necessary to achieve climate

neutralitye) Mechanisms for tracking progress on goals and actions

(Then revise CAP biennially with inputs from regularly updated GHGI.)

Mason CAP Timeline to Delivery

• Feb 17, 2009 – Launch Climate Action Planning Team at CAP Kickoff

• End of February – Task 1: Define technical, policy, or process problems that are potential sources of emissions.

• Mid-March – Task 2: Define potential emissions reduction solutions within three major categories (technical, policy, process/behavioral).

• April-May –Task 3: Develop strategic options for timelines to achieve neutrality target, including carbon offset strategy.

• April-May – Task 4: Analysis and prioritization of solutions.

• Mid-May – Task 5: Draft CAP [… refine over summer to deliver in Sept.]

GMU Greenhouse Gas Inventory

Outline

• Tools and Methods

• Data Collection Processes

• Results

• Recommendations and Discussion

Tools and Methods

• Clean Air Cool Planet (CACP) Calculator v6.0

Data Collection Processes

• CACP Emission Scopes

• Mason Data Sources

Scope 1 Scope 2 Scope 3

• On Campus Stationary sources (Co-generation Plant)

• University Fleet• Agriculture• Refrigeration and other Chemicals (All

other GHGs – e.g., PFCs, HFCs, SF6)

• Purchased Electricity• Purchased Steam / Chilled

Water

• Transportation – Air Travel, Commuters

• Solid Waste • Includes all solid waste produced

by campus except waste composted, recycled or burned on campus for power

Agriculture Commute Energy Fleet Solid Waste Transportation

Facilities Management - Purchaser

University Operations -

Transportation Office

Facilities Management –

University Energy Manager

CHCP Supervisor

Facilities Management -

Motor Pool

Facilities Administration – Recycling / Waste

Manager

Purchasing and Accounts Payable

(Campus Community Air Travel)

Results (cont’d)

CO2 Emissions By Scope (Metric Tonnes eCO2)

CO2 Emissions By Sector (Metric Tonnes eCO2)

2007

Trends

Metric Tons of eCO2 per Student and Community Member

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

MT

Metric Tons eCO2 per Student FTE

Metric Tons eCO2 per Community Member

Grams of eCO2 per Operating $

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Kilograms of eCO2 per Square Foot of Building Space

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

kg e

CO

2

RecommendationsProcess• Complete a GHG inventory every two years (’08, ’10, ’12, etc); • Add Sustainability Office to annual reporting for GHG emissions’ sources• Develop Climate Action Plan• Collect / develop more detailed commuting and travel data

Mitigation• Continue to implement efficiency solutions while promoting energy

conservation policies and practices;• Reduce Travel and Commuting Emissions (e.g., improved transportation

options, increased usage of tele-presence options);• Identify innovative funding mechanisms for sources of renewable or highly

efficient on-campus power generation

Mason’s Climate Actions to Date

Tom Calhoun, VP Facilities: Facilities Efforts

Josh Cantor, Director of Parking and Transportation: Transportation Efforts

Lenna Storm, Sustainability Coordinator: Communications and Outreach

COMM 690• Graduate communications class led by Dr. Ed Maibach,

Director for Center of Excellence for Climate Change Communication

• Surveyed all of campus on awareness and attitudes toward climate initiatives

• 74% of responders said they had no idea the President had signed the PCC

• 90% said they’d be pleased or very pleased if Mason were able to reduce emissions

• Many offered their concerns about feasibility or seriousness of admin commitment

• 500 Climate Champions volunteered to help spread the word and educate the campus community

America’s Greenest Campus

CAP Subgroups• Subgroups Solution Groups in early

April, focusing on particular solutions• At that time, additional subject-matter

experts will be called to action to help us define funding options and timelines for each solution

• CAP report finished over summer

CAP Report Outline• Introduction• Background: Global Climate Change• Emissions: GHG Inventory and Projections• Timeline for Achieving Climate Neutrality• Emission Reduction Opportunities and

Costs• Technical, Policy, and/or Behavioral

Solutions for Each Emissions Source• Conclusions

Deliverables for Today• Choose your subgroup – we may ask you to

help with a different one if there aren’t enough resources on one or another (at least for today)

• Add your schedule availability to list• Add your contact information to list• Discuss and document sources of emissions

for your subgroup using the fishbone diagrams

• Have fun!